


I told him I loved him, dammit

by Trashness



Category: Free!
Genre: Angry swearing Rin is my everything, Canon Universe, Confessions, Flirting, Fluff, Future Fic, M/M, Making Out, Mutual Pining, Smut, Sousuke is hard to write, dammit it got smutty again, oblivious boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-07
Updated: 2015-08-07
Packaged: 2018-04-13 10:58:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4519284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trashness/pseuds/Trashness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin and Sousuke are best friends, completely comfortable with each other. Comfortable enough to live together. Comfortable enough to joke around and flirt with one another. Comfortable enough to stare at each other's ass when they think the other doesn't notice...</p>
<p>...Wait.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I told him I loved him, dammit

**Author's Note:**

> So I got several requests to make a Sourin companion fix to my Makoharu fic (Which you can find here:http://archiveofourown.org/works/4458686)
> 
> I hope this lives up to everyone's expectations that asked for it. It was a lot of fun to write.
> 
> This is a companion piece, but as usual, you totally don't have to have read the other fic to understand what's happening. Let me catch you up.  
> 1\. Makoto and Haru like each other, but refuse to tell one another.  
> 2\. Rin knows about how the both of them feel and it's driving him crazy.  
> 3\. This is the Sousuke and Rin show now.

Rin is standing in the locker room at nationals. Makoto has him by the scruff of his Samezuka hoodie and his head is throbbing from being slammed into the lockers behind him. Makoto stands over him, eyes wide and panicked. His mouth is pulled into a snarl.

 Rin has just figured out three things.

  1.      Makoto Tachibana is gay.
  2.      Makoto Tachibana is in love with Haru
  3.      Makoto Tachibana is freaking the fuck out.



 Rin slowly lifts his hand to Makoto’s neck and pulls him into his chest to hold him. Makoto breaks and starts to sob into his shoulder. It’s awful. Rin can feel the tears soak through his jacket, and the sound of Makoto struggling to breathe rings in Rin’s ears. The sound wrenches Rin’s heart. Makoto is warm like the sun, bright smiles and supportive. Makoto is the friend that always knows what to do. He is the compass that the Iwatobi team plots themselves by. It scares Rin to see him like this, to know that this has effected Makoto so badly. That he’s so scared over something like this, when he doesn’t have to be. Rin feels sick.

 But not because Makoto is distraught.

Rin feels sick because as awful as it is, as completely depressing and soul destroying it is to see Makoto like this… Rin can’t help but feel relieved. Relieved that someone _else_ might be able to understand what he feels. Sure, Rin wasn’t strictly gay like Makoto, but he definitely did like guys. He always assumed he’d have to deal with it alone. That he was the only one who made a point of not showering with his teammates after practice out of fear of getting excited. That he was the only one who lay awake in his bunk at night wondering how this could have happened. That he was the only one that enjoyed watching the men’s relay team get out of the pool just as much as the women’s.

 But he’s not. Makoto feels these things too. God, Makoto probably felt it even worse, especially if he liked Haru. Rin understands that guilty feeling of letting your eyes travel over your best friend far too well. He wants to tell Makoto. He wants to tell him that he’s not alone, he doesn’t have to cry, but he can’t seem to do it. Makoto might take it the wrong way. He might think Rin is making fun of him, or isn’t taking his feelings seriously enough. This is what Rin tells himself, but in Reality, Rin knows Makoto would never think this way. The real reason why Rin doesn’t tell him is much simpler. Rin is a coward.

 So he just holds Makoto tightly, pets his hair softly and whispers soothingly into his ear. He promises to never tell anyone, that Makoto is still his dear friend, and that he’ll protect him. He promises Makoto many things, biting his own confession back the whole time.

 Rin never tells anyone. Not when summer ends. Not when he graduates, and not when he’s standing in the airport about to board his flight to Sydney, Australia. Makoto and Haru came down from Tokyo a couple of days ago to have a going away party for him, but it’s just his family and Sousuke seeing Rin off today.

“Actually write me this time, ok?” Sousuke smirks.

“Writing? Pfft, you old man.”

“Skype me then.”

“Of course.” Rin smiles. He fist bumps Sousuke, but it doesn’t feel like nearly enough. Leaving Sousuke this time feels much harder. When he was in primary school it had been easy. He had been excited about achieving his dream, brimming with hope and motivation and that kind of blind optimism that told him he would see Sousuke again. But Rin knows better now. He knows they’ll likely see each other again, but they are at a time of their lives where people change. They follow different paths, become different people. Rin doesn’t want Sousuke to change. He wants him to stay like _this. His_ Sousuke. He can’t take his eyes off of him.

“Sousuke, I…”

“Don’t.” Sousuke shuts him down. “Stop it. You’re overthinking things.”

“Am not.” Rin pouts.

“If you cry I’m leaving.” Sousuke chuckles.

“I won’t cry!” Rin cracks a smile and that’s all Sousuke really wants. Sousuke laughs louder and Rin rolls his eyes.

“C’mere you asshole” Rin grabs Sousuke and pulls him into a tight hug. They hold each other tightly and Rin can smell Sousuke’s deodorant on his skin. It’s spicy, like cinnamon, and Rin remembers when it used to fill his dorm room and leach its way into Rin’s clothes. He could never escape Sousuke completely. Rin realizes that his new dorm won’t smell like this and buries his head into Sousuke’s chest.

“I told you, if you cry…”

“I’m not!” But Rin’s voice is shaky. Sousuke sighs and gives Rin a quick peck on top of the head. They separate and Sousuke smiles when he sees that Rin’s eyes are glassy.

“Shut the fuck up.” Rin sniffs.

 They do skype. Their first few sessions are awkward because Rin and Sousuke have never been huge conversationalists, but they soon settle into a rhythm. Rin starts to share stories about training and swimming competitions, as well as all the strange things Australians seem to do, while Sousuke tells horrible stories about customers that come to his family’s shop. Sousuke also reports on what is happening in Iwatobi, and is sure to tell Rin what his sister is up to when she refuses to.

“She’s not dating Momo.” Sousuke groans.

“Or Seijuro?”

“No.”

“Ok.” Rin nods with satisfaction.

They start to watch things together. At first it starts with just odd youtube videos that they swap back and forth, but it evolves into putting time aside in their days to watch whole movies. They lie back in bed and it feels like they’re still in their Samezuka dorm sometimes.

“Dammit.” Sousuke whispers under his breath, but Rin catches it.

“What’s the matter? Your connection shit itself?”

“No, no.” Sousuke is quiet, but doesn’t offer another explanation. Rin knows that tone. That is Sousuke’s embarrassed voice. It happens once a blue moon, when the planets align and the heavens have blessed him.

“Whaaaaat?” He pries. “You can tell meeeee.”

“No.”

“Soooouuusuke….” Rin croons.

Sousuke groans.

“It’s nothing. I just keep thinking you’re actually here. I keep going to look next to me to talk to you, but then you’re not there.” Sousuke sounds annoyed. The camera’s turned off so Rin can’t see his face, but he expects Sousuke looks very cute.

“Awwww, I miss you too.”

“I didn’t say I miss you.”

The next time they skype, Sousuke is in a different location. The wall behind him looks bare and through the microphone Rin can make out the sounds of traffic. But Sousuke is laying on a bed, so wherever he is, he must be familiar with it.

“Where…Where the hell are you?” Rin asks. Sousuke can see his eyes moving quickly over the screen.

“I uh… I’m in Tokyo” Sousuke answers.

“What are you doing there?” Rin asks. “You visiting someone?”

“No I actually… I live here now.” Sousuke smiles shyly.

“Whaaat? Why?!” Rin gasps.

“I go to school here.”

“WHAT?”

“I’m studying Physiotherapy.”

“WHAT?! SOUSUKE!” Rin is exasperated, but he still seems happy for his friend. He stands up and does a lap around his room before he can sit down again.

“What?! HOW?! WHY… WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME?!” He gestures wildly.

“I wanted to surprise you.”

“WELL WELL DONE.”

Sousuke laughs and brushes a hand through his hair.

“I applied a while ago. I liked working at my family’s shop, but I just didn’t want to do that for the rest of my life. And then I kept talking to you and seeing all the amazing things you were doing, and that made me think about my shoulder…”

“Sousuke,” Rin worries.

“It’s ok. But I just kind of realized that… I didn’t want that to happen to anyone else. So if I could help others to keep pursuing their dreams…” Sousuke shrugs. “I dunno. It’s stupid.”

“No it’s not.” Rin looks at his friend in awe. Sousuke had decided what he wanted to do, and he had done it all on his own. He didn’t have any friends study for entrance exams with him, or help him to fill out the right paperwork. Hell, Rin bets he even moved to Tokyo all on his own.

“I guess I didn’t tell you in case I didn’t get in.” Sousuke fiddles with his hands and doesn’t look at the camera.

“Of course you’d get in!” Rin laughs. “Because your grades are great and you’re perfect!”

Sousuke smiles wider and a blush crawls across his features.

“Thanks.”

“I’m really happy for you.” And Rin means it.

 

“I need your help.” Sousuke has been living in Tokyo for a couple of months now. His classes are hard, but he enjoys them. Rin gets annoyed when Sousuke tries to lecture him about the merits of stretching properly and working out specific muscles, but he’s glad that Sousuke seems to have clicked with his course.

“You always do.” Rin smiles. “What’s up?”

“I’m going for a job interview.”

Rin lets out a low whistle.

“Job huh? Look at you trying to contribute to society.”

“Thank you.” Sousuke rolls his eyes.

“What do you need my help with?” Rin chuckles.

“Help me pick what to wear.”

“Whaaaat?” Rin wrinkles his nose. Sousuke always dressed well. Why did he need his help?

“The job is at this coffee shop and it’s pretty upscale. I just don’t wanna…” Sousuke grasps for words.

“Look like the poor kid from Iwatobi?”

“Exactly” Sousuke mumbles.

“Ok, ok. Show me your choices.” Rin sits upright, readying himself like he’s about to make a life altering decision.

“Ok, ok.” Sousuke stands and gives the camera a nice crotch shot. “I was thinking about these pants. I know they’re jeans, but they’re dark and I don’t want to be too formal.”

“H…How do they sit?” Shit. This could be a horrible idea.  Sousuke lifts the hem of his shirt so Rin can see how they sit on his hips. Rin’s eyes zone in on the muscular v shape that Sousuke’s hips make, leading down to his… Rin pushes the thought away. But it’s difficult when Sousuke spins so Rin can see how the jeans perfectly cup his ass. _This is an awful idea_.

 See, Rin knew Sousuke was attractive. Rin was _suuuuper_ aware that Sousuke was gorgeous, but he was Souske! They were bros! You can’t sexualize your bros. But Rin had to fight against himself occasionally. _Focus on the task!_

“Yeah they look good.” He manages to keep his voice steady. “You should be able to dress them up. What about shirts?”

“That’s where I’m having issues. I’ve got this one…” Sousuke slips off the shirt he’s currently wearing and grabs another one. Rin gets a glimpse of his shoulder brace. It was a cruel reminder of Sousuke’s failed dreams back in highs school, but time has passed now and Rin can see it for what it is. He has to admit that it’s actually kind of sexy. The dark straps look good against Sousuke’s tanned skin, and frame his muscular chest. Rin only has a moment to appreciate it though before Sousuke slips a shirt back on. It’s a light beige knit sweater with a v-neck, that’s deep enough that Rin can see Sousuke’s collar bones peak through. It also fits very tightly and conforms to Sousuke’s biceps, pecs and abdominals nicely.

“But I’m worried it’s too casual.” Sousuke runs his hands over his front.

“Sorry, were you saying something?” Rin purposefully trails his gaze over Sousuke’s body, smiling because he wants Sousuke to notice.

“Rin” Sousuke scorns.

“Ok, ok…” Rin laughs. “Well as usual you look fantastic.” Rin groans, pretending to actually be annoyed that Sousuke would dare look nice.

“It is definitely more relaxed. What’s the other option?”

“The other one iiisss…” Sousuke slips off his sweater and starts rummaging around on the ground. He’s bent over and Rin can just see his butt through the camera. Sousuke seems to be taking his time.

“C’mon Sousuke, as much as I like staring at your ass” Rin sighs.

“I know you do. Consider this a gift.” Sousuke’s voice drifts up from the floor.

“Can I exchange it?”

“What for? Nothing will even compare.” Sousuke stands up with a smug grin. He holds the new shirt in his hand and begins to pull it on. This one is a teal button up with a collar. It looks like an expensive material. Sousuke tucks the hem into his pants and rolls the sleeves up fashionably to sit around his elbows. This also shows off Sousuke’s strong forearms.

“I like it.” Rin chimes in.

“Hold up, not finished.” Sousuke grabs a charcoal grey vest and shrugs it on. Rin’s eyes widen.

“This one. Wear this one.” Rin is adamant.

“Is that because you have a thing for vests, or because you actually think it’s appropriate?”

“I don’t have a _thing_ for vests.” Rin scoffs.

“You own about eight of them”

“That’s not that bad.” Rin’s voice is high.

“You only own four pairs of _underwear!_ ”. Sousuke laughs, and it’s Rin’s favorite laugh. It isn’t reserved or pulled in like Sousuke’s other laughs. It’s the loud one he only does when he’s with Rin and feeling particularly comfortable. It rings like bells out of Rin’s laptop speakers.

“Well you asked for my advice and I gave it to you. You should wear this one.” Rin lays back on his bed with a sigh.

“Yeah? Think they’d hire me?” Sousuke actually sounds self conscious. Rin rolls his eyes.

“If the person interviewing you is a woman, they will absolutely hire you.” Rin drawls.

“And if it’s a guy?” Sousuke smirks.

“You’ll turn him gay.”

“My favorite hobby.” Sousuke’s smile is devious.

“Oh yeah? You do that a lot, do you?” Rin sits up and looks at the camera like he’s unimpressed.

“Not a lot, I just enjoy it when I do.” Sousuke’s voice is low and flirty.

“You think you’re confusing boys over there in Tokyo?”

“Mmmm I think I’m confusing boys in Australia right now” Sousuke purrs. For a moment Rin’s smile falters and he feels like he wants to throw his laptop.

“Because of how badly you clearly want me” Sousuke laughs and Rin regains feeling in his face again. A joke. It was a joke. They were always joking like this, trying to bait each other. In many ways it was nice. They could tell one another that they looked good without having to add the obligatory “no homo” on the end. They were truly comfortable with one another…. But every so often… Sousuke would just get too terrifyingly close to the truth. Rin would freeze thinking _HE KNOWS_ before Sousuke would laugh and the fear would melt out of Rin’s body.

“Don’t flatter yourself.” Rin groans and joins in laughing.

“Besides if anyone was going to turn me it would be Makoto”

“Wait what?”

“BYE!” Rin closes his laptop giggling. He then pulls out his phone and sends a quick message to Sousuke.

  **To Sousuke: Seriously, good luck, and let me know how it goes.**

**To Rin: I will. And thanks again for all your help. Night.**

 Rin is about to toss his phone away when he receives a delayed message.

  **To Rin: Also Makoto is not better looking than me**

 Rin cackles. Clearly he has hit some kind of nerve. He files this piece of information away for use at a later date. Maybe next time Sousuke tries to yell at him for not eating properly.

 

The next day Rin receives a text.

**To Rin: I got the job.**

**To Sousuke: Was the interviewer a woman?**

**To Rin: Yes.**

**To Sousuke: You dog**

Sousuke likes his new job and his new classes. The theory is difficult, but he manages to get through it. Despite his somewhat cold personality he also manages to make several new friends. They meet up after classes to get lunch or study, or simply complain about their lives. It’s an intimate group that Soususke feels himself slowly becoming closer to. He starts to get particularly close to a boy in his anatomy and physiology class. The boy wears glasses and is a bit shorter than Sousuke. The boy has red hair.

“You know what we should do?” One of the girls in their group speaks up excitedly. They’re sitting at their usual ramen shop after an anatomy lecture.

“We should all go out one night! We’ve never been out together!”

“Yeah, there’s this really great bar just down the road. On Fridays they have specials for students.” Another girl chimes in.

“Fridays are good. I’m always up for getting drunk.” One of the guys from Sousuke’s physics class offers.

“What do you think, Sousuke?” The red headed friend looks up at him with a shy smile. “Sound up for it?”

Sousuke shrugs.

“Why not?”

That’s how Sousuke manages to find himself at the hot, overcrowded bar on a Friday night. The place is teeming with students, and Sousuke recognizes lots of people outside of his friendship circle. He’s later than when his friends were planning on meeting. His shift at the café ran late, and by the time Sousuke had showered, gotten dressed and left his apartment, his friends had been here for an hour. He’s wearing the white v-necked sweater he almost wore to his job interview. It clings to his skin even tighter in the sticky heat of the bar. He worries about it getting dirty as he shuffles through the throngs of bodies to find his friends.

“Sooooousuke~” A voice sings out flirtatiously. He looks in the direction of the voice and finds his friends sitting at a booth. Many of their cheeks are flushed, from the heat or alcohol he isn’t sure. Several of them are excitedly chatting and giggling, including his red-headed friend. Said friend glances up at Sousuke when he approaches. His cheeks get even redder.

“You uh… you look nice.” He squeakes.

“He looks hot you mean!” One of the girls yells out, jabbing the red head in the ribs. God, Sousuke was only an hour late. How could his friends be so far gone already?

“Thanks” Sousuke smiles, trying not to betray how very uncomfortable he is in this situation.

“Sous! Sousuke!” One of the girls climbs over the table and grabs his hand. “Come dance with me!”

“Uh I don’t…” Sousuke protests as he’s dragged onto the dance floor.

“C’mon, let me dance with an attractive guy just once!” The girl laughs and Sousuke gives in. He’s pushed into the mass of heaving bodies, the girl following  him. She just holds his hands and jumps up and down wildly, trying not to be tossed around by the crowd. It’s fun and casual. Sousuke looks beside him to see a bunch of couples grinding on each other and Sousuke lets out a little prayer of thanks that his friend is respecting his space. She’s clearly drunk, but that kind of drunk that’s just giddy and uninhibited.

“Move your hips, Sousuke! Don’t look so stiff.” She laughs.

“I am stiff.” Sousuke has to yell over the music.

“C’mon, I know you secretly like fun!” She starts to twirl under her and Sousuke’s joined arms. It reminds Sousuke of when he would dance with his girl friends in elementary school. He laughs, grabs his friend’s hand and spins them around, twirling her the whole time. He uses his weight as a counter balance and she begins to laugh even louder.

“Weeee! Faster!” She laughs, and Sousuke grabs her by the waist to whip her around. He laughs next to her ear. Maybe this evening wouldn’t be so bad?

“Can we cut in?” His red headed friend shouts next to them. He’s brought another girl friend with him. The girl Sousuke is holding squeals and grabs onto her. The two girls continue to spin around in a silly daze, disappearing into the cacophony of people. Sousuke is about to skulk off when the red head grabs him.

“Aw c’mon, Sousuke! Dance with me!” His usually shy friend stumbles forward with a lop sided grin.

“Um ok.” Sousuke grabs the boy’s hands and starts to just bounce with the music, but this friend doesn’t want to keep his distance. He slides right into Sousuke’s personal space, placing a hand on Sousuke’s chest, and the other on his hip. He slows their aimless bouncing to a slow roll. Sousuke’s heart starts to beat faster despite the decrease in activity. He holds his friend by the hips and follows his hips with his own. The red head looks up at him with glassy eyes. He is cute. Sousuke isn’t blind. He knew he was attractive, and judging by the way the red head slides his thigh against Sousuke’s crotch, he must think Sousuke’s pretty attractive as well.

“I really like this shirt.” The boy runs his hands up Sousuke’s torso. Sousuke shivers.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” His friend’s speech is slurred. “But it looks hot.” The friend pulls away, laughing and blushing at something he hasn’t said.

“I mean, it looks really warm. Are you warm?”

“Yeah.” Sousuke’s skin was on fire, particularly around his abdomen where his friend keeps rubbing against him.

“Do you wanna go outside for a bit?”

Sousuke nods. His friend grabs his hand and pulls him through a back door, out into the cool night air. The loud music becomes a dull thumping behind them. Sousuke feels his head clear immediately.

“That’s better.” His friend sighs. “But now I’m kinda cold” He stumbles towards Sousuke and collapses against his chest. Sousuke nervously laughs and wraps his arms around him.

“Better?”

His friend nods and wraps his arms around Sousuke in return.

“You’re so nice” He slurs into Sousuke’s chest.

“Uh huh” It’s too hot for Sousuke again. He wants to push him off.

“I really like you.” This one is whispered. Sousuke looks down just as his friend is rising up and their lips meet. The red head’s lips move lethargically and Sousuke starts to reciprocate. He holds his hips and angles his head down to deepen the kiss. His friend grips onto Sousuke’s arms, but not as tightly as Sousuke would like. His teeth also don’t feel as sharp as Sousuke would like, and when Sousuke pushes against him, his friend doesn’t have the strength or passion to push back in the way Sousuke craves. Sousuke pulls away to breathe. He has a hand wrapped in his friend’s hair and he examines the dark red strands closely. He loves the way it looks in his hand. Sousuke then brings his attention to his friend’s face. Red and swollen lips, high, delicate cheekbones, and glassy eyes partially obscured by dark frames. But these eyes are brown, not crimson, and Sousuke feels his brain catch up to him when he realizes how disappointed he is with this fact.

As if on cue, Sousuke feels his pocket vibrate. He pulls out his phone to see that he has received a photo and several messages from Rin.

**To Sousuke: My roommate took me to Taronga zoo today and I saw this little guy**

The attached photo is of a koala, sitting slumped forward in the fork of a tree, barely awake and looking grouchy as hell.

**To Sousuke: He looks like you!**

**To Souske: Bet he smells like you too ;p**

Sousuke feels himself laugh, but then his stomach drops when he feels the boy _actually_ with him shift against him.

“Sousuke?”

“I can’t do this.” Sousuke whispers. His friend steps backwards with sad eyes.

“Oh…uh… So you are straight?”

“No, no.” Sousuke lets out a sad laugh. “There’s just….” He groans.

“Someone else?” His friend offers a half smile. Sousuke nods.

“Hooookaaaay” His friend lets out a big sigh. “Can’t say I didn’t try!” He starts to stumble back towards the bar door.

“I’m gonna get drunk!” He announces.

“You are drunk.” Sousuke deadpans.

“I’m gonna get _shitfaced_ ” The red head slurs. “You wanna come?”

Sousuke thinks about it for a second. Getting drunk would definitely bury the pain in his chest and the heat he feels when he sees Rin’s name flash on his phne screen. But he shakes his head.

“Nah, nah. I’m gonna head home I think.” Sousuke forces a smile.

“Okay! See you Monday!” The boy opens the door and a wall of heat and noise bursts forth.

“Sousuke…” He says quietly before entering. “Are things… I’m sorry…”

“ _I’m_ sorry. We’re fine. Go have fun.” Sousuke nudges the boy through the doorway. The boy wears a relieved smile and falls back into the rhythm of the bar easily. Outside, Sousuke notices just how cold the nights are becoming.

Sousuke starts to notice couples more often at school now, and it turns up a bitter acid in his stomach. He hates seeing their hands clasped together. Hates seeing them eating breakfast or studying in the library together. He wonders if he’s just frustrated with being single, or if it has more to do with the fact that the person most precious to him is an ocean away.

Sometimes Sousuke will see Makoto around campus and they’ll grab a coffee together. They’ll reminisce about high school, and Makoto always listens to Sousuke talk about Rin and how much he misses him. Sousuke tries to make it seem like he misses _everyone_ from his high school days, but he feels he probably does a pretty poor job of it. Makoto never says anything though. He just nods like he understands. Being able to see Makoto more often at school is a mixed blessing for Sousuke. Makoto’s sensitive nature and warm smiles are a comfort to have when Sousuke is feeling down…. But with Makoto comes _Haru_. And it’s not even Haru that’s the issue. Sousuke is over any residual grievances left over from high school, but now whenever he sees Haru striding over to his and Makoto’s table, the bile in Sousuke’s gut starts to rise. It’s the way Makoto always looks at Haru whenever he shows up. How his smile becomes infused with sunlight and his voice gets immediately lighter. And Haru always looks back at Makoto like no one else matters. Haru doesn’t even go to his school, but he sees him several times a fortnight because he’s made Makoto a lunch, or Makoto forgot his scarf, or he got out of swim training early and was “in the neighbourhood”.

See, it’s not Haru that pisses Sousuke off. It’s that, once again, Haru has everything Sousuke can’t have. He has the amazing swim career lined up, and Makoto, his soul mate, adores him and is constantly at his side. Seeing Haru and Makoto together causes Sousuke’s chest to ache, and he wonders how far he could swim in the ocean before his shoulder eventually gave out.

Summer holidays come and go, and Sousuke throws himself into his day job. He works eight hours almost every day, and builds himself up a nice pile in his savings account. He attends the gym regularly and swims more at the attached aquatic centre, but he never puts his full heart into it. The second semester begins far too soon, but Sousuke is relieved to see he still has many of his friends sharing his classes. He still sits with his red headed friend, but is careful not to ever get too familiar. He wonders if he should tell them that his birthday is approaching. Maybe they should do something? But Sousuke has flashbacks to that night in the bar and decides against. He isn’t afraid of his friends, but is more afraid of what he would do. Desperate, lonely and possibly drunk on his birthday. He really doesn’t want to hurt anyone.

So on the night of his birthday, he stays in. He sits on his bed eating a whole tub of ice cream and watches old martial arts movies. His family calls him and wishes him a happy birthday, and they encourage him to keep up with his studies. Halfway through the second Bruce Lee movie, Sousuke’s skype begins to ring. He answers it to see Rin walking through a street, clearly using the skype on his phone.

“HEY!” He beams.

“Hey.” Sousuke sits up on his bed.

“Happy birthday! How are you? Are you busy?” Rin yells over the traffic.

“No, no. Just hanging out at home. Why are you skyping me on the move?”

“Augggh, I have somewhere I need to go tonight, but I really wanted to wish you a happy birthday.” Rin pouts.

“Well thanks. I guess a shitty, rushed happy birthday is better than none.” Sousuke smirks.

“C’mon man! I’m here aren’t I?”

Sousuke chuckles.

“Did you get anything for your birthday?” Rin moves into the lobby of a large building and the traffic sound dies down.

“My parents gave me money?”

“The sweetest gift of all. What are you going to do with it?”

“I dunno. Video games?” Sousuke shrugs.

“Lame.” Rin moves into an elevator. “You said you’re at home right?”

“Yeah?”

“I have an idea on how you can spend that money.” Rin grins. “Buy some dinner for yourself.”

“That’s hardly special. Nor does dinner for myself cost that much.” Sousuke looks bored.

“No, no, you don’t understand.” Rin’s grin grows wider. “It’s special and will cost more because you’ll be buying dinner for me too.”

“Wha…?” But the skype connection has been closed. There’s a knock on Sousuke’s door.

_No._ He thinks. _No fucking way_. He runs over to the door, pulling up his sweatpants that are riding dangerously low, and throws the door open. Rin is standing there and continues the conversation like it’s nothing.

“I feel like Chinese. You feel like Chinese? I dunno, I just got a real craving.”

“You…” Sousuke stumbles back and is speechless. He looks over Rin again, and again, and again, like he’s waiting for him to evaporate. But he doesn’t. He’s here. Actually here. Rin is elated with this reaction.

“Happy birthday!” He throws his arms out wide in a grand gesture. Sousuke feels his eyes prickle. _NO NO NOT IN FRONT OF RIN._ He bites the tears back and pulls his usually snarky personality out.

“Did you get me a present?” He raises an eyebrow.

“I’m your present!” Rin’s smile and eyes are so wide and sparkling he looks like a toothpaste commercial.

“Oh… can I exchange it?” Sousuke quotes Rin from so long ago. Rin’s bravado breaks and he shakes his head.

“You piece of shit!” He shoves Sousuke and blows past him into the apartment. Sousuke almost doubles over laughing. This bundle of crimson rage is back in his life and he couldn’t be happier. He follows Rin, still huffing, to his bedroom.

“C’mon c’mere.” Sousuke catches his arm and turns Rin into him. Rin initially prickles, trying to still act mad, but it’s just too much effort. He fuses with Sousuke so easily and buries his face in Sousuke’s chest. _Cinnamon_. Rin breathes it in and his head swims. They reluctantly pull apart and Sousuke stares down at Rin. At his dark red hair. And his crimson eyes. _Yes. This is right._

Rin stays for a week, and it’s like nothing between them has changed. Sousuke unfortunately still has to go to work and classes, but he savours every minute he has with Rin. Meanwhile, Rin curses every morning he hears Sousuke’s alarm go off and he knows that when he wakes up, Sousuke won’t be there. But Rin manages to fill his days. His first Sousuke free day he goes and visits Makoto and Haru. It’s late in the evening. Sousuke is working a night shift at work, but he’s back at home by the time Rin gets back. Rin stumbles in looking emotionally exhausted.

“Whoa,” Sousuke calls from his bed. “Where were you?”

“Makoto and Haru’s” Rin flops onto the bed next to Sousuke. He stares at the ceiling and a heavy exhale escapes him.

“Say no more. Those two are exhausting.”

“Makoto wasn’t there.” Rin’s voice is hollow.

“Impossible. He never leaves Haru.” Sousuke scoffs.

“Well he did, and Haru was _pretty_ upset.”

“They’re a thing, right?” Sousuke barely looks over the book he’s reading. It’s a simple question, but Rin stiffens next to him.

“Uhhhhh…” Rin looks nervous. “Why do you ask?” He slowly sits up.

“Because Makoto is 100% gay for Haru.” Sousuke smirks, but Rin shushes him like he holds some great political secret.

“Stop, stop, you don’t know that!”

Sousuke laughs at how protective Rin is of his friend.

“Oh, I know. And you do too, don’t you?” Sousuke leans in with a sneer.

“I can neither confirm nor deny such accusations!” Rin launches himself off the bed to stand in the corner.

“Uh-huh” Souske is unamused. He wants to keep joking, but he can see how worried Rin is about this. Souske furrows his brows.

“I won’t tell anyone.” He says. “I’m serious. If Makoto isn’t out…”

“He’s not.” Rin snaps.

“Ok.” Sousuke breathes. Jeez. He wonders how long Rin has known about this. He wonders why he’s so protective. Sure, Rin was a loyal guy, but this feels like something Rin holds very dear. Sousuke stands and walks over to Rin, placing a comforting hand on his back.

“How long have you known?” His voice is low and soothing.

“Nationals.” Rin mumbles. “It was fucking awful.”

“Are you the only one…?”

“Yeah.”

“Jesus.” Sousuke allows several beats to pass. “You’re a really good friend, Rin.”

Rin scoffs at this and pulls away from Sousuke’s touch.

“Not really… I mean knowing about Makoto? All I could think was…!” Rin catches himself. He’s not sure whether he should finish this story. Because he knows about Makoto… but no one knows about him. Not even Sousuke. Especially not Sousuke. He had lived with Sousuke, swum with Sousuke, saw him get changed every morning. What if he freaked out? What if he called him a pervert and kicked him out?

“Rin?” Sousuke steps forward, large teal eyes marked with worry. A warm hand grabs Rin’s shoulder. He shivers underneath the touch. Sousuke is patient and grounding, everything Rin needs to counteract his abrasive personality.

“…All I could think…” Rin’s confession comes out timid. “…was _Thank God!_ … because I wasn’t… I wasn’t the only one.” He waits for Sousuke to yell at him, or shove him, or call him horrible names. Instead he just gets his low and rumbling voice.

“You thought you were alone this whole time?”

“Well yeah” Rin shrugs. He avoids Sousuke’s gaze. “But knowing Makoto was there… that really helped you know?”

“You idiot.” Sousuke gives Rin a light shove and laughs. “You didn’t just have Makoto.”

“What?”

“I like guys! You could’ve talked to me!” Sousuke steps back and acts like he’s offended.  He looks at Rin, expecting a soft gasp, or a disbelieving sound. But Rin’s reaction is much better.

“FUCK OFF!” He looks at Sousuke like he’s just won the lottery. “Seriously?!”

“Seriously!” Sousuke laughs at Rin’s reaction, who still looks disbelieving, but he’s also grinning and looks like he wants to punch Sousuke in the face.

“Why didn’t you tell me!?”

“Why didn’t _you_ tell me?!”

“JESUS CHRIST!” Rin shoves Sousuke good naturedly.

“But I like girls too, so I dunno… I’m still different I guess.” Rin drops his voice down again and rubs the back of his neck.

“Rin.” Sousuke glares at him. “I like girls too.”

“WHA… HOW…” Rin gasps. He’s too flabbergasted to get anything else out. “Son of a bitch!” He shoves Sousuke again, but it’s like shoving a brick wall. Sousuke barely even sways.

“So basically, you’re telling meeeeee that while I was figuring all this shit out and having to deal with it myself… I could have just talked to my best friend?!”

“Pretty much.” Sousuke shrugs. He walks back to his bed and sits on it. Rin throws himself down next to him.

“Unbelievable. Un-fucking-believable.” He whispers. “I’m so fucking angry right now.”.

 The room is quiet for several minutes in a comfortable silence before Rin speaks again.

“Ok, so let me get this straight…” He pokes Sousuke in the ribs. “I like guys. You like guys…”

“Yes?”

“And yet… you’ve never made a move on me?” Rin feigns like he’s insulted. Sousuke looks down at him with an unimpressed look on his face. He noticeably scans Rin’s body up and down, then wrinkles his nose.

“You’re not my type.” He can barely hold his grin. Rin gasps like he’s in a soap opera and has just been shot.

“I. Am. Hurt. You _wooooound_ me, Sousuke.” Rin tries to be serious, but his body starts to shake and he erupts into a fit of laughter. It’s contagious and Sousuke finds himself joining in. They both fall back on the bed, the mattress shaking with their laughter. The joke isn’t even that funny, but every bark of laughter releases years of repressed stress and uncertainty into the air. Rin nudges Sousuke several times with his knees and Sousuke shoves back. When they start to calm down and Sousuke’s abs ache, he ruffles Rin’s hair.

“You’re an idiot.” His voice rumbles.

“YOU’RE an idiot!” Rin fires back.

The next time Rin visits is in December, and Christmas is just around the corner. He actually gives Sousuke a heads up this time, but unfortunately Sousuke has a long shift at work when he arrives. Rin spends his first day with Makoto and Haru and returns home to Sousuke that night. He complains to Sousuke that Haru and Makoto _still_ aren’t together, but Sousuke calms him down with some Mario kart and greasy pizza. Rin both loves and hates visiting Sousuke. He loves it because it’s so comfortable, and he molds into Sousuke’s routine easily. It feels like they’re always supposed to live together. And that’s why Rin hates it… because it feels like he’s always supposed to be with Sousuke.

So what was he doing in Australia? Working for his dream, but did that mean anything if Sousuke wasn’t there? Everything is easier for Rin when he’s back in Australia and hasn’t seen Sousuke for months. Because then he’s forgotten what it feels like to be with him. He can’t remember what it’s like to always have someone who understands. He can’t remember what it feels like to come home and have someone waiting for him to return. He can’t remember, so it’s easy to pretend that it’s not that big a deal. That Australia isn’t a mistake.

Sousuke notices Rin is in a particularly down mood when he leaves for work one morning.

“I’ll be back around lunch. You got any plans?” He asks Rin, who’s still laying in bed.

“I thought I might go see Haru. Makoto’s gonna be out today, so we could both complain about how our best friends abandon us.” Rin slips a sly smile. Sousuke rolls his eyes.

“If you want me to pay for your dinners I’ve gotta work.” Sousuke lightly thumps Rin’s head with a cushion.

“I’ll see you this afternoon then” Sousuke waves and leaves the apartment.

When Sousuke returns from his shift, his legs are aching and the sour smell of hot milk and coffee has bled into his clothes. Coffee was supposed to be a soothing smell, but when you shoved out as much gallons of it as Sousuke did, it started to give you headaches. He throws off his uniform shirt and pants, but he can still smell the coffee combined with sweat on his skin. He hops into the shower, letting the water take away the odour as well as the day’s aches and pains down the drain. Sousuke leans forward to rest his arms and head on the tiled wall. He thinks about the water running down his back. How he wishes he could melt along with it and escape out into the ocean. Rin is leaving in five days and he has no idea what he is supposed to do. Five days. An ominous countdown… but to what? What was he supposed to do? No matter what, Rin had to leave for Australia. There was no point in telling him anything. It wouldn’t make a difference. Even if things went well, it would just make saying goodbye even more difficult. No. Sousuke had five days left to enjoy Rin’s company and that was _it._

Sousuke falls out of the shower and loosely dries himself off. He puts on a pair of track pants and a fraying tank top, then curls up in bed. He barely has time to boot up his laptop and watch a couple of dumb internet videos before Rin flies into the apartment like a hurricane. He throws his coat onto the ground and kicks off his shoes so hard they fly and slam into the opposite wall.

“Uh oh.” Sousuke sits up. This is Rin at his absolute peak level of frustration. If he was enraged he would be a mixture of crying and punching. This is something different. This is what Rin looks like when he’s lost control over something.

“Problem?” Sousuke arcs an eyebrow.

“HE’S SO STUPID!” Rin shouts. He pulls off his sweater and throws that to the ground as well.

“Haru?”

“YES HARU!” Rin snarls. “He has _no_ idea! He can’t possibly understand…!”

“Rin calm down. I don’t know what’s happening.” Sousuke pushes his laptop to the side. Rin shuffles over to the bed, grumbling under his breath, and plops himself next to Sousuke. His hands sit on his knees balled into tight fists.

“Theyre fucking idiots, Sousuke! IDIOTS!” He fumes.

“Haru’s... fuck Haru! He won’t tell Makoto he loves him, but he won’t give up on him either. He has no idea how painful and confusing this must all be for Makoto!” Rin vomits up the explanation. He’s like a faucet. There’s no stopping him now.

“Makoto I can understand! But at least he doesn’t play head games with Haru! Makoto’s a coward too, but at least he doesn’t hurt anyone!”

Sousuke sits back and lets himself be bombarded with Rin’s frustration.

“So I told Haru that he HAD to tell Makoto. He HAS to. No more excuses! And AND get this, get this, he has the AUDACITY to say that he’ll only tell confess to Makoto when I confess to you!” Rin stares at Sousuke with a crazed expression. “Can you believe this shit?!”

“Well…” Sousuke is unfased.

“Well?!”

“I’m waiting.” Sousuke smirks. Rin lets out an exasperated huff and punches him in the shoulder.

“Yeah right.” He snorts. “You would enjoy that way too much.”

“I think you would enjoy it even more.”

“Not particularly. You’re a grumpy old man with no romantic experience. I’m not missing anything special.” Rin sighs, the fury pouring out of his body, and lays back on the bed. Sousuke leans over him.

“And you’re so experienced?”

“Australia is a strange country and I am a hot, foreign, student.” Rin places his hands behind his head and looks very smug.

“I suppose you’re right. Australians have plenty of experience dealing with dangerous animals after all.” Sousuke doesn’t even see the pillow as it collides with his head.

“You dick.” Rin laughs.

“Hit me all you want, it won’t distract me from the fact that you aren’t confessing to me.” Sousuke’s low laugh fills the room.

“Never!” Rin hits Sousuke again. Sousuke dodges this time.

“Makoto and Haru’s relationship hangs in the balance. Only you can save it, Rin!”

“Shut up!” Rin pulls away and tries to hit Sousuke again, but Sousuke has grabbed his own pillow and thumps him over the head with it.

“Think about it Rin!” The blows between them build in speed and strength.

“You could like it! A life with me. It doesn’t get much better. You know you’re dying to tell me you love me.” Sousuke laughs, but Rin has stopped fighting. It is normal for him and Souske to flirt, but this is beyond that. This has gone on for too long. Sousuke is being way too insistent.

“And what would you do if I did? If I told you I loved you?”

“I’d kiss you.” There is no laughter in Sousuke’s voice. Rin feels like he’s had the wind knocked out of him. He’s trying to read Sousuke’s endless stare, but it’s impossible.

“I can’t tell if you’re joking anymore.” Rin curls into himself, but Sousuke slides forward, his face coming an inch within Rin’s. He leans on his arm, possessively caging Rin close to him.

“Can’t you?” His deep voice rumbles and Rin is ashamed at the way his lower abdomen churns at the sound. He audibly swallows, closes his eyes to regain his composure, then looks at Sousuke with more strength.

“Throwdown.” He demands. His crimson eyes flash with determination.

“What are your terms?” Sousuke pulls away and smiles with interest.

“If I win, you tell me whether you’re joking or not.”

“And if I win?”

“What…What do you want?” Rin stammers.

Sousuke hides his laughter as much as he can. _A very dangerous question, Rin_.

“If I win… You have to confess to me” He grins.

“Tch, even if it’s not real?” Rin snarls.

“Oh, it’ll be real.” Sousuke smirks. Rin’s displays of aggression had lost their effectiveness on him long ago. Rin scoffs and rolls his eyes.

“Let’s just do this.”

 

Rin stares at their hands. _Impossible_. He wants to throw up. This was stupid. This was so fucking stupid.

“Riiiin~” Sousuke sings. “I’m waiting.” Rin still stares at their hands. At his balled in a fist, then at Sousuke’s laid out flat. _Paper beats rock_. Dammit.

“Riiiin~”

“Shut up!” Rin snarls.

“You can’t back out. We had a deal.” Sousuke looks far too happy with himself. It makes Rin want to headbutt him. And pin him to the wall. And kiss him senseless.

“I know!” He can feel heat creep into his face and he preys Sousuke doesn’t notice.

“Fine! Fine! Sousuke!”

“Yes?” Sousuke smiles.

“I…!” Rin’s throat closes up. He wants to scream it in Sousuke’s smug face, but his voice won’t let him. Because these words hold too much gravity. He’s thought about saying them hundreds of times. When Sousuke leaves in the morning, before they fall asleep at night, even at the end of skype calls. He’s turned the words over in his head for years, but when they sit in his mouth they feel heavy.

“I love you.” Rin whispers. He wants to fall through the mattress when the sound of his own voice, sounding so sincere and frightened, echoes in his ears. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. Sousuke stares at Rin, barely breathing because it feels like his lungs have collapsed. He was expecting something with more bite and sarcasm to it, not the airy and honest confession he’s just received.

“What now?” Rin snaps and this seems to bring Sousuke back to his senses. _Almost_ back to his senses. He’s still dizzy and can’t come back to the ground, like nothing can touch him. He reaches a hand out to grasp the back of Rin’s neck.

“I told you what would happen.”

Sousuke kisses Rin softly, like he’s worried Rin’s lips will burn if he takes him in all at once. His lips move slowly and his fingers gasp the hair at the base of Rin’s neck tightly. Sousuke’s free hand sits on Rin’s knee, but slowly travels upwards as he leans more into the kiss. Rin feels absolutely boneless. He wasn’t lying before either. He has had experience kissing, but when Sousuke kisses him, Rin feels like 100% the virgin he is. His senses are too overloaded, the smell of cinnamon burning in his nostrils and Sousuke’s strong hand sending tremors up his thigh. Rin gains some semblance of himself and begins to move his lips gently against Sousuke’s. It’s feather light and timid. Rin’s hands sit awkwardly beside him, allowing  Sousuke to move him and hold him how he wants. Rin parts his mouth slightly and Sousuke grazes his tongue against Rin’s. The contact lights sparks in Rin’s body. Sparks that connect Rin’s nervous system again so he remembers himself and what his body is capable of. His hands leave the mattress to grip Sousuke tightly by the hair and shoulders and Rin’s kisses turn aggressive. He’s all deep tongues and sharp bites now, and Sousuke can’t believe how good Rin is at this. Sousuke realizes that this probably means Rin wasn’t lying before… which means someone else has kissed Rin. Someone else has had him like this. Someone else has tasted Rin on their tongue.

Jealousy and competitiveness overtake Sousuke’s body and he pins Rin to the mattress. His tongue licks and slides over every inch of Rin’s mouth, removing any memory of anyone else that has ever kissed Rin. Rin gasps and shudders underneath him, before his sharp teeth bite harder at Sousuke’s bottom lip. Rin slides his hands down Sousuke’s torso, adoring the movement and strain of his muscles underneath his warm skin. But it isn’t enough. It’s never enough. Rin pulls at the hem of the shirt and Sousuke seems to get the message. He relinquishes Rin’s mouth for long enough to throw off his tank top and smile knowingly down at the boy in front of him. He doesn’t miss the way Rin’s eyes widen, or how his jaw slackens. Rin sits up and slowly traces his hands over Sousuke’s chest and stomach. His touch is tentative.

“God… God you’re hot.” Rin half laughs, half pants and his forehead falls against Sousuke’s chest. Sousuke leans down to place light kisses and bites along Rin’s neck and behind his ear. Rin moans contentedly at the sensation then sucks in a breath when he feels Sousuke bite the shell of his ear.

“I knew you were looking.” Sousuke darkly chuckles into Rin’s ear. That laugh _did things_ to Rin and he tries to suppress the whine that leaves his body. He does not succeed.

“What was that?” Sousuke asks in that same voice.

“Shut up” Rin groans and starts to pull away. Sousuke catches him by the shirt and lifts that over his head, but he doesn’t just stop there. His hands start to drift to Rin’s belt.

“I really _really_ want to get you naked.” Sousuke purrs against Rin. Rin pushes out any air left in his lungs and wordlessly nods. Sousuke lays him back down onto the mattress, kisses his neck, then works his was down Rin’s torso. Sousuke kisses from his chest, stomach, navel, and stops at Rin’s waistband. His tongue darts out of his mouth to lick Rin’s lower abdomen and up to his sternum. Sousuke marvels at how Rin’s skin shudders and goosebumps underneath his tongue. Sousuke then removes Rin’s belt, undoes the button on Rin’s pants, and pulls down the zipper with his teeth. Rin lets out a guttural moan at this spectacle and tries not to cum in his underwear. Sousuke would never let him live it down.

Sousuke looks up at Rin, cool teal eyes shining through a thick layer of dark eyelashes, as he slips his pants and underwear off of his slim hips. Sousuke follows the crease of Rin’s hip with his lips, kissing lower and lower until he’s sucking and biting Rin’s inner thigh. Rin’s toes are curling, erection straining, because Sousuke is so close to where he wants him to be. Sousuke slips Rin’s bottoms off the rest of the way, leaving Rin sprawled out before him naked and shivering. His long red hair flows around his face like fire, and his deep crimson eyes have turned glassy and predatory.

“Stop fucking me with your eyes and take your damn pants off.” He was still Rin after all.

“You do it.” Sousuke smirks. Rin huffs, but sits up and loops his thumbs underneath the hem of Sousuke’s track pants. He slides his thumbs back and forth, just barely grazing the top of Sousuke’s erection. Rin leans up to bite and suck at Sousuke’s collarbone until there is a mark. Sousuke’s voice rumbles next to Rin’s ear.

“Are you doing this on purpose?” His voice hitches as Rin’s fingers skim over the top of his erection again.

“What gave you that idea?” Rin smiles innocently. He surges forward to kiss Sousuke sloppily on the mouth, whilst his hands finally pull Sousuke’s track pants down. Sousuke quivers against the cold air, but this makes Rin’s warm body so close to his even more inviting. He pushes Rin back onto the bed, positioning himself between Rin’s legs, and lazily thrusts their hips together. Rin clings tighter to Sousuke, sucking on his tongue and wrapping his legs around Sousuke’s hips. Sousuke starts to thrust faster, spurred on by Rin’s enthusiasm. Rin tugs at his hair and rolls his hips upwards to meet Sousuke, seeking more friction. The feeling of Sousuke’s hot skin against his is intoxicating and Rin won’t stop until Sousuke’s touches are burnt onto his skin. Sousuke has moved from kissing Rin’s mouth to kissing and biting at his ear. He experimentally slips his tongue inside and is rewarded with Rin’s nails scraping against his back.

“Sous!” Rin gasps. “Don’t… I’ll come if you….”

“Good.” Sousuke rumbles. He brings a hand down to grab both his and Rin’s erections and stroke them in time with his hips. Rin trembles, but when Sousuke slips his tongue inside his ear again his hips jerk and his head flies back. His nails dig deeper into Sousuke’s back, who moans at the sensation.

“Sous, Sousuke, Sousuke, augh fuck…” Rin starts to babble. Sousuke pumps them faster and can feel all the muscles in the lower half of his body begin to contract. He’s close, and every time Rin whispers his name through his swollen and abused mouth, Sousuke is brought closer.

“Sousuke, shit… I’m… Sousuke. God I want you…” Rin continues to whine.

“I’ve wanted you so badly.”

Sousuke groans at the confession.

“Rin…” Sousuke pants. His chest hurts and his throat aches with the emotions flooding through his body. He slows his movements, but builds them in intensity, and he brings his mouth to heatedly kiss Rin’s again. They bathe in each other’s shallow breaths.

“I love you.” Sousuke barely utters into Rin’s hungry mouth. Rin swallows the words greedily and feels himself being pushed over the edge. His body convulses in Sousuke’s arms, delicate throat exposed, hair sticking to his forehead and eyes pressed tightly shut. The sight is enough to send Sousuke following closely behind.

Sousuke collapses on top of Rin, sticky and hot, but Rin wraps him up in his arms. He traces his delicate fingers up Sousuke’s back, soothing the scratch marks that start to redden and raise off of Sousuke’s skin. Sousuke breathes heavily against his ear.

“Fuck.” Is all Rin can manage. Sousuke chuckles and rolls off him, to snuggle against his side. He drapes an arm over his waist.

“Fuck.” Sousuke mimics. Rin laughs and pats him on the ass.

“We’re doing that again, right?”

Sousuke laughs and sits up to gently kiss Rin again. He doesn’t think he’ll ever get sick of it. Rin’s lips push back passionately and he drinks in Sousuke like a dying man in a desert.

“As long as you want me.” Sousuke smiles against his lips.

-

-

-

“Rin, what have I told you about racing before stretching?” Sousuke stands by the side of the pool, looking down at his guilty boyfriend in the water.

“It’s not serious! It was just a fun race!” Rin shrugs.

“Uh-huh.” Sousuke’s cold stare bores into Rin, who shrinks under his gaze.

“Fine! Jesus, help me stretch now then!” Rin stretches his arm up and Sousuke pulls him out of the water. He holds Rin’s hand begins to walk him towards the gym, but he calls out over his shoulder.

“And stop encouraging him, Haru! Or I’ll tell Makoto!”

Haru sinks  lower in the pool and shudders at the one threat that’s actually effective on him.

Rin lays on his back, while Sousuke places Rin’s knee on his shoulder and pushes forward, stretching out the back of his thigh.

“You know, if I’d have known you were just gonna yell at me all the time, I might not have gotten the Australians to hire you as our consulting physiotherapist.” Rin crosses his arms across his chest.

“You didn’t get me hired, they hired me because I’m good.” Sousuke places Rin’s leg down and starts to stretch the other one.

“Yeah well, I got you noticed.” Rin pouts.

“Uh huh, I’m sure you did.” Sousuke leans forward, bending Rin’s leg over his head, to kiss him quickly on the lips.

“You’re pretty flexible” Sousuke comments as he pulls back.

“Years of practice.” Rin smirks. Sousuke tries to act unfased, but his cheeks and neck blush furiously.

“You wanna get in some more practice before my time trial?” Rin purrs. Sousuke glares at him.

“Having sex with your boyfriend won’t give you an advantage, Rin” Haru struts into the gym sounding bored.

“Fuck off, Haru! I’m seducing here!”

Sousuke leans forward again under the pretense of stretching Rin’s leg, but instead whispers in his ear.

“I’ll make sure you’re thoroughly warmed up before your time trial.”

Now it was Rin’s turn to blush all over. In their next race, Haru wouldn’t stand a chance.

 

 


End file.
